I was told that getting back into the things I love to do is a great therapy so I forced myself to sit down at the bench and broke out some old kits. It feels very good to create again after so long.
My first venture into the long trip back to anything resembling normalcy was the old Model AA Ford from Jordan Miniatures. I have an issue with the roof not being prototypical on this model but otherwise it's a fine kit. I combined it this time with parts from a Tichy wooden ore car kit to make a coal delivery truck. The bed (supposedly) has a screw auger dispensing system and I scratch built a geared gate for it. The 'coal' is fine granite dust sprayed black. Did some heavy weathering here on the truck.
I moved on to another old favorite in the Roco Zis-5 again and combined it with the tank from the Model AA kit. Added a bunch of scratch built details to come up with this Airport Fuel delivery truck. The (as yet unfinished) plane in the background is a 1938 Corben Super Ace which comes in a plastic kit from Williams Bros. Not a very detailed kit but it is one of the few aircraft models that scales to an exact 1/87.
This truck sat unfinished for the longest time. I knew where I wanted to go with it but didn't know how to get there exactly. The model is a cast metal kit from the now defunct Ivers Engineering of the 1953 REO Gold Comet. I built log bunks, head ache rack and the stinger trailer to come up with this.
I've always had a love affair with the pre and post war Chevy truck. My neighbor has two of them parked behind his house. It was great when Clare Gilbert at Sylvan Scale came up with this cab. Funny thing is, now Classic Metal Works and adp of Germany also have a model of this truck but neither is as prototypically accurate or close to scale as Clare's offering. Not only that but Clare has given us the model in a cabover configuration too. Which is what I used here for this pumper unit. I tried to stay true to the Art Deco form here with a scratch built bed. Many of the details are scratch built with some help from Ralph Ratcliffe models fender mounted siren.
We I've got lots more to show but that's it for now. I'd like to take this opportunity to express my thanks to all those that have wished us well and given their prayers and condolences following the tragedy that befell our family. It's all of those kind words from you folks that have helped immensely to overcome what I thought was the end to the happiness and enjoyment life can offer. The realization that so many good hearts exist out there has given me the desire to participate in life again. Many thanks to each and every one.
